I'll start with what happened over the past 24 hours: The China Xi - USA Trump summit in Beijing was not a disaster.   Not much was agreed to, but no huge problems resulted. Xi admonished Trump about Taiwan, and his response was muted.  China could play a role in settling the Iran War.  It appears that Xi Jinping will return a visit to the U.S. in September. In a Star Advertiser poll: What should the U.S. do in the war against Iran? May 14, 2026   D. Just “finish the job” with military action (235 Votes) A. Current ceasefire/diplomacy is working (126 Votes) B. Call on NATO for active role (105 Votes) C. Call on China for active role (54 Votes) Oil prices went up: Brent crude futures gained $3.35, or 3.17%, to $109.07 a barrel by 12:34 p.m. CDT (7:34 a.m. Hawaii time). West Texas Intermediate futures were up $3.85, or 3.81%, at $105.02. So on to my topic of the day.  May 15 is the135th day of 2026, so there are 230 days left this year.  Thus far, ...

We spent Day 3, 1January2026, of this Ritz-Carlton Luminara cruise moored off Koh Samui, Thailand. Never been there, and have no particular wish to see a fisherman's village, Wat Khunarum, Secret Buddha Garden ( right ) and Chawan Noi Beach (below). Also too because we would need to catch a boat to the pier.  And Koh Samui would still be 19 miles away. Oh yes, and the cost is $339/person. According to the write-up:  Koh Samui's charm extends beyond its sun-drenched beaches, etc.  They believe in siestas.  Temperature is supposed by be 82F, but it feels like 90F on our veranda. Wikipedia  spells the city as Ko Samui, but locals just call it Samui. Off the east coast of Thailand, and is the country's second largest island after Phuket, Is beginning to approach 3 million tourists annually. Was not troubled by the great tsunami of 2004, and actually had a boom, for visitors avoided Phuket, located on the west side. The top global events in 2026: January 11:  Go...